Just as Kenya was concluding the 2019 National Anti-Corruption Conference at Bomas, there was a heated debate in a cafeteria as the President was making remarks. The hushed debate touched on the President` resolve, his tactics, the people around him and the law of Kenya. The most critical question was whether he could really succeed in his ambition. Since this is a pet subject, I had to pay closer attention I overheard them narrate on how Kenya has the best anti-corruption laws which were never fully implemented or adhered to. They also retorted on the Judiciary`s and Legislature’s critical roles and as some conference speakers had averred, someagreed, was a bit unpredictable. When the conversation was at the climax; it settled on Kenya`s value system or lack of it.

It is still fresh in our memories how we (Kenyans) have organized our ideals and aspirations beneath tribal lenses. This inclination, compounded with the country`s liberation history has previously induced unhealthy competition, negative ethnicity, rivalry and disequilibrium in key sectors as well as regions. The natural consequences have obviously threatened: equitable development, effective service delivery and nationhood.

The study sought to establish the influence of governance on corruption levels from the perspective of the Public Service in Kenya. One of the study objectives was to: assess the influence of institutional leadership on corruption levels in the Public Service. A review of literature was done anchored on Principal-Agent Theory. The study adopted both the correlational and descriptive research designs. A study population of 265 institutions (as on 2015) provided a target sample size of 157 institutions. The target respondents in the sampled institutions were public officers who had undergone training on the following disciplines: leadership, integrity, values and principles of the public service and management during the study period (2010-2015). These purposely selected respondents were subjected to questionnaire. To augment data from the questionnaires, 23 key informant interviews were conducted targeting senior officers in the public service, non-state actors and experts. Data collected was analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The overall correlation analysis results showed that there was a significant but negative relationship between institutional leadership and corruption levels as supported by correlation coefficient of -.525. The regression analysis results showed the coefficient of determination R square is .291 and R is .540 at 0.05 level of significance. The coefficient of determination indicates that 29.1% of the variation on corruption level is influenced by institutional leadership. The findings from the study are to benefit the policy makers, public service, citizens of Kenya and other stakeholders. It also fills the knowledge gap owed to previous little research on the influence of institutional leadership on corruption levels. The study recommended that the public service should be keen to design policies and implement programs targeted on addressing the specific leadership sub constructs (quality policies, responsibility, and commitment) so as to address the run-away corruption in the public service.

Youth in Kenya comprise of a high percentage of the national population that directly contributes to development. Beyond this, they are also likely to be the most affected by government policy and implementation including the big four. This obvious inclination, compounded with the country`s future history makes the youth a key pillar and stakeholder in the realization of the big four agenda namely: universal healthcare, food security, affordable housing and manufacturing. For this to be a reality, there must be a deliberate effort by the youth to tap into their capacity, talent and numerical strength so as to harness into the already existing opportunities. The natural consequences of their selfless efforts will in no doubt induce the much-needed support for equitable development, effective service delivery and nationhood.

Corruption remains a nightmare not only in Kenya but globally. The 2017 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) places Kenya at position 143 out of the 180 countries in the survey. This is some improvement compared to the same survey by Transparency International in 2016. This comes in the wake of tremendous anti-corruption initiatives by both state and non-state actors. Some of the efforts have resulted into enacted legislation and the establishment of anti-corruption agencies/ watchdog institutions. The institutional framework has been revamped with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission as the primary agency. Others are the Judiciary, Parliament and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions among others in the non/state sectors.

Kenya’s 2017 General Election is around the corner. A beehive of activity by current and new politicians is in the offing. All possible strategies will be employed in seeking support and votes from the electorate. The most known, tried, tested and yielding of the Ancient schemes will certainly take precedence.

The end of the doctors` and lecturers` twin strikes in Kenya this week has signalled mixed reactions amid reprieve to many.Kenya was almost at its knees asking for alms from countries whose governance records remain wanting.What is clear from the experience is that well-being of Kenyans has been affected from the social, cultural, economic and political fronts. Correcting these imbalances remains our responsibility.

Kenya`s 2010 Constitution (CoK, 2010) has been hailed as a robust governance framework that has enshrined various rights.By virtue of Article 2 (6) of the Constitution; any treaty or convention ratified by Kenya shall form part of the law of Kenya. In this respect, Kenya has among other international and regional instruments ratified the United Nations International Convention on Social and Economic Rights where in Article 13; the right to education for all has been recognized. More particularly, the right to education for everyone under Article 43, 1(f) of the CoK, 2010 is embodied in the Bill of Rights. In a more practical approach; Part 1 (15) of the 4th Schedule of the CoK, 2010 also gives the National Government the mandate over education policy, standards, curricula, examinations, university education and the granting of university charters. These provisions promote the need for reforms and affirmative actions to ensure access to relevant education and training for all.

Kenyans and the world watched in disbelief as the unlikely and controversial republican candidate Mr. Donald Trump garnered the required 270 Electoral College votes in the recently concluded US elections. This paves the way for his swearing in as 45th president elect of the United States. In a hotly contested election; major pollsters had predicted a close margin lead by the Hillary Clinton, the democratic candidate. A mock poll held in Kogalo as reported in the Standard November 8th gave Clinton a lead with 78 votes against 11 votes garnered by Trump. Pollsters and opinion across the world including the media had also predicted to the contrary.

I begin by a declaration of the sacred words contained in the preamble of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 that: “We the people of Kenya are proud of our ethnic, cultural and religious diversity and determined to live in peace and unity as one indivisible sovereign nation”. Now this is a path and a duty that binds all citizens and all humanity in general.